July 16, 2023
Updated: July 16, 2023 2:02 p.m.
A fallen tree branch injured six people at Spring Lake Park in Santa Rosa on July 15, 2023.
Santa Rosa Fire Department/Twitter
A large tree branch in Santa Rosa’s Spring Lake Park fell down on multiple people Saturday morning, leaving one person with potentially life-threatening injuries, one person with moderate injuries and four others with minor injuries, including a six-year-old boy, fire officials said. A group of about 40 people from the Hessel Church in Sebastopol and the Mienh Freewill Baptist Church from El Sobrante were holding their annual picnic and Bible study in the area when they heard the sound of one of the oak trees snap before it suddenly fell, the Press Democrat reported.
Firefighters responded to an initial report of a “tree down” in the park at approximately 10:46 a.m., with a fire engine, rescue team and five ambulances arriving at the scene.
Multiple Injuries – Spring Lake Park MCI declared
Santa Rosa Fire dispatched to tree down people @ 10:46am. 1 Engine, 1 Rescue & 1 Battalion Chief assigned w/ 5 ambulances & 1 EMS supervisor. 6 patients treated/evaluated. 1 w/major injuries, 1 w/ moderate & 4 w/ minor injuries.
Santa Rosa Fire Department (@SantaRosaFire) July 15, 2023
Video shared by the Santa Rosa Fire Department on Twitter showed the picnic area sectioned off by police tape near where the tree fell, including a table that appeared to be crushed by the branch and split in half. Fire officials proceeded to declare a “mass casualty incident” and said the victims were transported to area hospitals.
A fallen tree branch injured six people at Spring Lake Park in Santa Rosa on July 15, 2023.
Santa Rosa Fire Department/Twitter
The department said it did not expect to provide any additional updates and left the scene with Sonoma County Regional Parks staff, which was not immediately available to respond to SFGATE’s request for comment.
A supervising Sonoma County Regional Parks ranger told the Press Democrat the tree limb was approximately 15 inches in diameter and wasn’t the first to fall in the park, though assessing the risk of fallen trees in any given area can prove challenging. She urged people to take extra caution and be aware of their surroundings.
“With these trees, what we’re looking at is several years of drought followed by the extreme rains that we had this winter,” Beth Wyatt told the Press Democrat. “The trees tend to soak up a lot of moisture and then because of the drought, the limbs are weak.”
Spring Lake Park is a 320-acre park in northeastern Santa Rosa with nearly 10 miles of trails, a swimming lagoon, boating and camping.
Amanda Bartlett is a senior reporter for SFGATE covering culture, Bay Area history, science and breaking news. Prior to joining the newsroom in 2019, she worked for the Roxie Theater, Noise Pop and Frameline Film Festival. She lives in San Francisco with her rabbit, Cheeto. Send her an email at amanda.bartlett@sfgate.com.